I'll start out by saying that just like many of you here - I'm as bad as they come. Night terrors, squeemish at the thought of a needle, have avoided the doctor for the past year at the fear of him asking to do a blood test.

I'm just turning 28 and I have some health things going on that I don't think are life threatening but would certainly like to take my doctors advice and let him do a blood test on me to check my sugar levels and cholesterol (I'm about 50lbs overweight).

My issue is - I'm really only scared of giving blood from the bend of my arm. I got a kidney stone removed about 2 years ago and the nurse did an awesome job putting my IV needle in my forearm. I honestly didn't even know she did it. I went back 2 weeks later to a different hospital for a different kidney stone and it did not feel so good when they put the IV in my wrist.

My question is - how would the doctor / plebotimist (sp?) respond if I asked them to do my draw from my forearm? I get cuts and bruises throughout day to day life there all the time and for some reason I have this crazy fear of the bend are of my arm. I'm even good out to about an inch away from the crease but in that are you better not go near it. I have a hard time letting my wife touch me there.

I understand that they are limited to an area where the veins are visible but I think that staying hydrated and with enough squeezing of the ball that it might not be difficult for them and would certainly make ME feel better.

When it comes to injections I'm not AS scared of them but don't like them. My experience with injections is that usually for flu and tetanus shots it isn't that bad while getting the shot but I usually get sore the day after for some reason.

Anyways, My doctor is fully aware of my phobia and has been extremely compassionate but I'd like to find a way that I can comfortably let him do his job.

I have made comments on this forum before about how I wished that they would put the needle somewhere other than the arm. For some reason having to rotate my arms and hold them in an odd position adds to the peril I feel when having to undergo a blood drawing procedure.

It's like it's not enough for them to ruin your month by knowing you are going to have to get blood drawn....but they also have to hold your arm in an un-natural while they use their "instruments of terror" loll....Why do they have to physically and psychologically dominate us?

I agree that injections aren't as bad. It's like with getting blood drawn, they take something from you.....without giving anything back!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's just unfair business practice and all around fiscal irresponsibility!!!!! >><<

I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm really surprised that there aren't any "Painless Prick" type labs that essentially treat adults with kid gloves whom are afraid of needles.

In my area (Nashville) there are a number of "Dental Bliss" type dentist offices that advertise to the 'wooses' and 'babies' too afraid of the dentist and promise a great experience through sedation, advanced technology and much more.

I would surely pay out of pocket up to a few hundred dollars for someone to make my needle experience easier as I'm sure many others here would.

It is odd that they would handle dental phobia would in such a way, yet the prescription for getting over Needle Phobia is "Get over it wuss!" lolll I guess theoretically, you can live without going to the dentist, but it can be life or death whether you go to a doctor, so the dentists figure they will be as accommodating as possible to get your business.

I talked to a friend of mine who is a Phlebotomist(Why anyone would want to do that for a living is of course shocking to us...I mean, she's essentially a professional vampire!lol)...Anyway, I asked her what they studied in school in reference to Needle Phobia. She was like "Needle Phobia?"....then she said that they just told them that some people were afraid of needles and moved on. That's not going to cut it is it? They don't even recognize it as a legitimate concern.

I guess we need to do what we can to spread awareness about our annoying little phobia. Maybe we should form a group called The Unprickables! lol...Since you live in Nashville, and I live in the Tampa, Florida area, we will be in charge of the Southeastern US chapter!